Electrical connection device.



F. KRATZ.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE. APPLICATION msn APR. 30.1914.

1,214,183. Patented Jan. 30,1917;

L WITNESS-:5 INJENTDR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ KRATZ, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE FIRM OF ROBERT BOSCH).-

0F STUTTGART, GERMANY.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 30, 1914. Serial Nol"835,346.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANZ KRATZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at and whose post-office address is Schlosstrasse 59a, Stuttgart, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connecting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to electrical connecting` devices for connecting conductors and electrical apparatus in an electric circuit, and it discloses connecting devices well adapted for portable batteries in a wood or metal containing box. For this specific device a concentric-conductor cable, preferably having its outer sheeting or armor forming one conductor of the cable, is used with the connecting device. In this way, only a single cable is used and only a single connecting device is necessary for connection t0 both battery terminals, thereby replacing the more unsightly and insecure arrangements now prevalent for this purpose. The connecting device herein disclosed is of such construction that it may also be adapted for fuse receptacles, and the fuse receptacle may be readily connected to the connecting device and to the battery or other apparatus associated with it in the electric circuit.

In the accompanyingr drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 represents a connecting device and a fuse receptacle in section mounted on the outside of a battery containing box of wood; and Fig. 2 represents a modified arrangement wherein the connecting device and the fuse receptacle are arranged within the battery containing box.1

Referring to Fig. l, the wire 0 leads from the positive terminal p of the battery through the opening (t in the side wall of the battery containing box of wood, and tol the binding pest 7) which is screwed into a flange of the conducting socket terminal c of the fuse receptacle. The socket terminal c is threaded internally and the hollow conducting plug e is adapted to engage these threads to clamp the fuse wire f between it and the conically shaped contact surface of the abutment terminal d, which is insulated from the socket terminal c and is provided with an outwardly extending screw s forming a binding post. The glass cylinder g incloses the fuse wire and is clamped inl place between the socket terminal c and the abutment terminal d. The ends of the fuse wire f and the ends of the glass cylinder g rest against the conically shaped conducting bushings as shown. The connecting device likewise comprises an internally threaded socket terminal 'i carrying a binding post b screwed into its flange for connecting to the negative terminal p of the battery by means of the wire 0 Which passes through the opening m in the battery box. The connecting device likewise has an abutment terminal d with a conically shaped contact surface and a binding post s extending outwardly therefrom and connected with the binding post S of the fuse receptacle by means of theconducting bar h. A hollow conducting plug Z is provided with threads adapted to engage the threads of the socket terminal i and is so shaped internally as to tightly clamp the conducting cable shoe'r which is mounted on the end of the cable and electrically connected to the metal sheath or armor u which forms one conductor of the concentric' conductor cable.l

The central conductor t ofthe cable eX- tends to the conducting electrode c, which is insulated from the cable shoe as shown. When the plug Z is screwed into place, the cable shoe 7c, andtherefore 'the conducting armor u, is electrically connected to the socket terminal c', and at the same time the electrode rf, electrically connected to the central conductor t, is forced into engagement withlthe conicallv shaped contact surface of the abutment terminal d', the two conductors of the cable, and the cable itself, being maintained rigidly in position.

The fuse receptacle and the cable connect-k ing device of Fig. 2 are like the corresponding parts 0f Fig. 1, excepting that the socket terminal c of the fuse receptacle and the socket terminal c' of the connecting device are provided with lugs n and n which are screwed directly upon the two terminals 79 and p of the battery. In this way, both the fuse receptacle and the connecting device are located within the battery containing box and the binding posts b and b of Fig. l, together with the connections 0 and 0, are eliminated from the construction.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917. v

vand the fuse f to the binding post s of the abutment terminal of the fuse receptacle. The current then passes through the conduc# tor 71, to the binding post s of the abutment terminal d and into the central conductor t of the concentric-conductor cable. The current returns by way of the metal armor u and cable shoe 7c, to the plug Z' and socket terminal i of the cable connecting device, whereupon the current then reaches the negative terminal p of the battery through the conductor 0 in Fig. l, or the lug n in Fig. 2. The construction shown in Fig. 2 has the disadvantage that the metal connections inside of the boXare subjected to the acid vapors of the battery, and must therefore be made of lead or else be heavily covered with lead. The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 is not open to this objection, but it is not so Well adapted for use with battery containing boxes of metal. Thus the arrangement shown in Fig. l is to be preferred with wood containing boxes and that in Fig. 2 is preferred with metal containing boxes.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. The combination with a conducting member, of an electrical connecting device therefor comprising a conducting socket terminal provided with a binding post, a conducting abutment terminal having its eontacting surface located within the socket terminal and having a binding post extending outside thereof, and a plug engageable with the socket terminal, said plug maintaining one terminal of the conducting member in electrical. connection with the socket member and forcing the other terminal of the conducting member into engagement with the contact surface of the abutment member;

2. The combination with a` conducting member, of an electrical connecting device therefor comprising a conducting socket terminal provided with a binding post. a conducting abutment terminal having its contacting surface located within the socket terminal and having a binding post extending outside thereof, a conducting plug engageable with the socket terminal, said plug completing electrical connection between 'the Larmes socket terminal and one terminal of the conducting member, and forcing the other terminal of the conducting member into engagement with the contact surface of the abutment member. n

3. The combination with a conducting member having end terminals, of an electrical connecting device therefor comprising 'a conducting socket terminal, a conducting abutment terminal insulated from the socket terminal and having its contact surface located within the socket terminal and connected therethrough to a binding post, and a plug holding the conducting member in place in the socket terminal and maintaining the end terminals of the conducting member in electrical connection with the socket member and the abutmentmember respectively.

4. The combination With a conducting member having end. terminals, of an electrical connecting device therefor comprising a conducting socket terminal, a conducting abutment terminal insulated from the socket terminal and having its contact surface located within the socket terminal, and a conducting plug engageable withA the socket terminal, said plug holding the conducting member in place between it and the contact surface of the abutment terminal and maintaining said end terminals in electrical connection with the socket member and the abutment member respectively.l

5. The combination With a conducting member having end terminals, of an electrical connecting device therefor comprising a conducting socket terminal provided with a binding post, a conducting abutment terminal having its Contact surface located within the socket terminal and having a binding post extending outside thereof. and a conducting plug engaging the socket terminal. said plug holding the conducting member in place between it and the contact surface of the abutment termin-al and maintaining end terminals of the conducting member in electrical connection with the socket terminal and the abutment terminal respectively.

ln testimony whereof l ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. FRANZ KRATZ. Witnesses:

PAUL WoLrAs'r, REINHOLD ELWERT. t

Copies et' this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

